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Mason City Globe-Gazette (Newspaper) - March 16, 1948, Mason City, Iowa
i i NORTH IOWAS DAILY PAPER EDITED FOR THE HOME THE NEWSPAPER THAT MAKES ALL NORTH IOWANS NEIGHBORS AaaocUUd Press mnd United Press Full Leased Wires Five Centi a Copy MASON CITY IOWA TUESDAYMARCH 1948 HOME EDITION mim This Paper Consists of Two No 135 PACKINGHOUSE WORKERS ON STRIKE HOUSE DEFEATS ROLLBACK FOR RENT INCREASES Also Rejects Proposal to Extend Controls UntiIJune301950 Washington house defeated 117 to 29 Tuesday a pro posal to extendrent controls to June 30 1950 and roll back many to their wartime OPA levels Douglas UCahf offered Her pro posal would have wiped out rent Hikes made under voluntary leases agreed upon by tenants and landlords Mrs Douglas told the house many tenants had been coerced into signing these leases When congress extended rent controls last session it allowed rent increases up to 15 per cent if tenant and landlord agreed on a lease through 1948 After the defeat of the Douglas motion on a standing vote repub licans lined up to push thiough the house their own local option controls bill Assailed by democratic oppon ents as a control measure in name only the bill would take the power io raise rents or lift ceilings away from Washington and give H to local boards nominated by the governors Republicans contended that lo cal problems are better understood by people in the various localities and they can best handle tenant landlord problems Foes of the bill claimed some boards are stacked with real estate operators Rep Monroney DOkla called for a vote on a move to strike out the local option provision and retain some form of veto power in the hands the federal rent administrator little hope that his maneuver would succeed The house expects to pass the bill before nightfall It would extend modified rent controls to April 1 1949 The sen ate has voted to continue controls to May 1 1949 It rejected the local option idea Representatives of the 2 houses will get together later in an at tempt to iron out their differences Favor 42 Agriculture Budget SI Court Action Threatened by Mine Owners Pittsburgh UR The United Mine Workers pension strike spread to 350000 of the nations 400000 soft coal workers Tuesday bringing a threat of court action from the mine owners The operators decision to act was announced as coal production dropped nearly 2000000 tons a day and approximately 86 per cent of the industry manpower in 11 states was idle Operations were almost at a standstill in Alabama Ohio and Kentucky The operators gave UMW Presi dent John L Lewis 3 days to call off the walkouts and join them in petitioning a federal district court for appointment of anarbitrator Otherwise they said they will act alone There was little doubt that the shutdown would soon be nation wide The walkouts were the min ers response to UMW President John L Lewis notice that mem bers should discuss ways and means of forcing operators to in corporate a for aged miners into the industrys welfare fund provisions The coal walkout choked off fuel supplies to many of the nations largest steel mills U S Steel Corp Republic Steel and Jones Laugrhlin Steel reported all of their pits closed With 5000 miners idle Repub lics production loss was estimated at 23000 tons a day but company officials snid they would be able to operate their steel furnaces for several weeks through drawing on stockpiles U S Steel however said that if the coal walkout continued much more than a week it would have 10 curtail steel operations in the Pittsburgh district Reports from Washington said he government may soon summon Lewis and the operators together for talks The federal mediation ervice has authority under the TaftHartley act to call such a con ference Cyrus S Ching director of the government would not tolerate a soft coal stoppage He was ex pected to use his full powers to settle the dispute Refuse Truman Plea to Postpone Walkout Chicago meat packing plants throughout he country were hit Tuesday by a strike of 100000 CIO United Packinghouse Workers seeking wage increases Meat shortages within a few days are expected in some areas The strike went into effect at a m local time despite an llth hour plea by President Truman for a delax until a fact finding board investigates the dispute Industry spokesmen predicted the nations meat Supply would be cut in half within a few days if the strike continues A union spokesman estimated approximately 140 plants of all major and many independent packers are affected by the walkout Some 150000 other packing plant workers members of AFL and independent unions who have settled wage questions with the packers still are working Government and industry spokesmen said if the strike continues the will begin to feel the pinch of less meat within 2 weeks photos PICKETING was a few minutes after midnight and the picket line was just get ting organized when the pic ture was taken Strike leaders for union 38 were on hand at the main sate of the Jacob E Becker and Sons plant as the picture shows At left Is Lee Simons Des Monies farm rela tions director for the CIOUlW facing the camera in front of him is Clarence Kamsey co chairman of the local xmioii strategy board while Art Cos tello strategy board chairman is holding the sign at the right The lower picture shows some of the plant workers on the in side looking out A number of foremen and other supervisory employes will be in the plant for the duration of the strike it has been announced by he management Office workers work their usual hours going through the picket line by agreement with the union i i c hcu WashingloH i Mil in flic aKriculture clciv buriyci for was Trgod Tuesday by approjiriiil icns iinmituv lint bcshis in iiinv oisli for the IfiKiri nicTit Ihe remmmemlrt for the school lunch program and in loan authority for the rural olcftrifica tion administration The cash outlay includes 000000 to pay farmers for soil conservation practices this yeai under the AAA program The bill also promises a appro priation for this purpose next year to cover the 1949 crop year The total okayed by the committee is below the amount the department was given for the present year While the cash approved is ac tually less than Presi dent Trumans proposed budget for the department of the cut is a paper transaction The president had asked for 000000 cashfor the schoollunch program The committee instead ordered transfer of that amount from funds the department re ceives from customs collections on agricultural imports The bill will come before the bouse for debate late this week The deepest actual cut made by the committee was in funds asked for production and subsistence loans handled by the farmers home administration The presi dent sought the com mittee approved It granted in full the requested for loans to help tenant farmers buy and improve rented land And the loan au thority approved for the rural electrification administration is more than the presi dent asked and more than REA was given this year The committee added to the presidents request for 000000 for soil conservation oper ations managed by the department itself This is in addition to the authorized in pay ments to farmers for following conservation practices under the triple A program Iowa Townsfolk Go to Farm Neighbors in Search of Water Marcus fP Marcus residents armed with milk cans and other containers Tuesday began an exo dus io neighboring farms in search oi water as the town began its 2nd clay without a city source of water supply Meanwhile workmen began the task ol removing from a pipe leer under ground a faulty motor which city officials snid cause ol the pump failure in allot Ci the Suncia v ERP Conference Votes to Include Western Area Paris European re covery conference voted unani mously Tuesday to include west ern Germany in the scope oil the Marshall plan 1ortiiffals minister Jose Caeiro 11i Miii proposed infore the 2ml ami final fiiMicnil session of eonjcviinrr ursrtny aftcr lial GenrrLilissiino Francos iitiniliidtHl 1044 Packing Union Members Begin Picketing at Deckers 100 Office Workers Local HT ClOUnitecl ers beyau ilirir Weather Report FORECAST 1044 of the Mason City Fair and colder Tuos lKkiujnise day night Wednesday fair and continue cold Low Tuesday niniu 12 in High Wednesday Ilrkitini of iiu tnd Son pik CilY i miiliiiLir T I Truman Invites Congress Heads to Conference Washington Tru man Tuesday invited congressional leaders to a white house confer ence at a m CST Wed hour and a half be fore he will deliver a foreign pol icy speech to congress The white house announced the invitation without any elaboration Presumably Mr Truman wants to discuss with the leaders the speech he has prepared 405000 Workers Idled by Strikes By UNITED TRESS Nationwide walkouts in the sof coal and meat industries Tuesday idled more than 400000 workers in ihe biggest strike tieup since last 14500 Iowa Workers in Meat Strike By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Picketing was peaceful in 7 Iowa cities Tuesday as an estimated 14500 CIO United Packinghouse Workers moved into the first day of their strike for higher wages In general unionmanagement agreements were in effect per mitting office help watchmen and certain supervisory workers to pass through picket lines Work ers entering the plants Included union men assigned to service re frigreratioii equipment and power plants Except for limited supplies for hospitals and institutions where meat is needed for health purposes however no shipments were being permitted out of the struck plants Workers out plants included at major Iowa March Another 5000 workers were on strike in the newspaper and other industries The number of workers idled in strikes was the largest since John L Lewis United Mine Workers struck the ofl coal pits n ynai ago House Body Approves Presidential Election by Popular Ballot Washington house ju diciary committee Tuesday ap proved a proposed constitutional amendment to permit election of the president and the vicepresi dent by popular vote The proposal is in the form of a resolution introduced by Rep Gossett It must be ap proved by the house and the sen ate and be ratified by at least 36 states before becoming effective While the resolution does not abolish the electoral college it would permit the electors from each slate to split their votes on the basis of the popular vote cast in their states Under the present electoral col lege system all the electoral col lege votes of a state are given to the candidate who received the most votes in the state Losing candidates receive none of the electoral votes one of fovery which the committee had to deal The others Avere a multilateral treaty a permanent international organization and a list of recovery needs Britain and France proposed the inclusion of Germany which before the war xvas the industrial heart Europe The western oE zones of Germany are expected to be represented by the occupa tion authorities assisted by Ger man advisors The Germans would have no votes but they xvould take part in deliberations of the conference working committee Agree Peace Threat Exists in Palestine New York V7P United States Russia and France agreed in principle Tuesday that a threat to peace exists in Palestine The big powers did not reach a final agreement on recommenda tions to the United Nations secur ity council however because China had some reservations on the wording of a proposed resolu tion But measure of agreement reached this forenoon was signifi cant If the council finds a threat to peace actually exists the U N then would be in a position to use force to restore order in Palestine The United Nations Palestine commission in its 2nd monthly re port meanwhile predicted strife bloodshed and chaos in the Holy Land this spring ipproximiKh ins would be on duty at Mil Sniffs are to oc clianced every G hours the strategy board has decided and the women will not picket at night starting their shift at fi a m There was no demonstration of any kind through the night or dur ing the forenoon Tuesday One of the picketers called to one of the 2 guards standing at the main gate at midnight What do you say Hank I cant say it was the answer Approximately 100 office work ers went through the picket lines and went to work as usual Tues day morninff Their coming and going was by agreement between the management and union At a meeting between the 2 Monday afternoon it also was ar ranged that 7 union members will man the powerhouse each shift during the strike so long as there is no attempt made to operate the packing plant Foremen and other supervisory employes will remain in the plant throughout the strike it was stated by the management The plant has its own cafeteria and cots were brought in for the men to sleep on 25 PUNCH Cedar Rapids UR Rudolph Michalec paid a fine in police court because he punched his wife in the nose following her bid in a card game See U S Army 9 today on Page 4 air and colder Wednesday air je in iompera nuilit Ifi to li nrar i j outlook nti vu rui1 VUl itiiiM iX unehnlt to inin ociuriu as rain Tnurscdiy md Fridav Nor mal mirih fiii south Normal 27 tmriht Minnesota Clear in south and partly cloudy in north Tuesday night with snow Hurries in northeast portions Colder Wed nesday Generally fair and rather cold IN MASON CITY GloheGazette weather statistics for 24 hour period ending at 8 Tuesday morning Maximum 4 Minimum vfj At 8 a m Tuesday 29 Committee Votes to i nbl1 Legislation The houseaC ltun committee voted Hi to 10 Tuesday to sholvc aU to YEAR AGO Maximum Minimum 22 11 Arnolds Park Woman Dies of Crash Injuries Spirit Lake Frank Kemis 45 of Arnolds Park Iowa died early Tuesday of injuries suf fered Monday night in a highway mishap 4 miles south of Spirit Lake Injured when their car went out of control and careened into a tree on highway 71 was Mrs Kcmis daughter Mary 21 SAME Black flat irrfc death In icon past reiwnl federal taxes on oleomarga rine Chairman Hope KKans said This kills legislation to repeal these taxes at this session of con gress What it means Is that the com mittee wont send any repeal bills to the floor where house members could vote on them Some members favoring repeal indicated however they will try to get a bill to the floor by a dis charge petition This would require signatures of house members Whether these signatures can be obtained is doubtful Truman Transfers 29 Ships to Italy in Good Will Gesture Washington Truman Tuesday ordered the transfer of 29 merchant ships to Italy as a gesture of American goodwill The vessels including 15 war built Liberty ships represent a further United States gift to Italys economic recovery Congress authorized the move last August when it gave the pres ident permission to return or re place all Italian ships seized by the United Stales during the war A state department official told i reporter it is a happy coinci dence that negotiations for this gift were completed days before the Italian elections Heads Cosmetologists Des Moines Amelia Porter Greenfield was elected president of the Iowa Association of Cosmetologists Monday to suc ceed Nina Schneider of Council Bluffs Waterloo Cedar Rapids Des Moines Iowa Packing Ottumwa Mason City Decker 1044 Sioux City Armour Cudahy In Des Moiiies E F Kaderabek of the Iowa Packing company es timated that Iowa meat retailers have at least a 10 days supply for sale to consumers Some additional supplies will flow to market from plants not closed by the strike At Ottumwa what union offi cials called the longest picket line in the world was thrown arounc the Morrell plant with 12 to 132 persons at each of the 15 stationb on the Cimile circuit Hog prices at interior lowr points were up meanwhile from 25 to mostly 50 cents a hundred Seven plants including Horme at Austin were operating along with a few concentration yards and order buyers The run was estimated at 17000 head com pared with 39000 a week ago At Sioux City where there were J100 salable cattle being marketed mostly on shipper accounts beeC steers wore up 50 cents to SI a hundred Plants remaining open include Tobins 2 plants at Fort Dodge and Tvsthwvine Fred J Clarkman ager the Fort Dodge plant said Monday night an agreement had been reached with CIOUPWA officials to continue operations Dccause Tobin has not purchas ed livestock since last Thursday there will be no killing until Wed nesday Clark snid Others rcniaining open in ad dition to Tobin are Glaser Sioux City Davis Esthervillc and Bookey and Des Moines pack in Des Moines At Esthcrville local 79 voted to accept the district office decision to remain at work at the Tobin plant Although the company of fered to grant the 9 cents an hour pay boost the union rejected it on the understandingthey would receivewhatever settlement the union reaches nationally with the Big1 Four Members of the Estherville lo cal will contribute per day per man to that district strike fund Tobin resumed buying Tuesday and a normal kill was scheduled for Wednesday Broadway Show Girl of 30 Years Ago Seeks Mayor Post Milwaukee Broadway show girl of 30 years ago is hoping to capture a fair share of the male votes in Tuesdays primary election for mayor of Milwaukee The men she believes realize that a woman is more apt to carry out her campaign promises Mrs Ruth Foster Frocmming 50 who appeared in Ziegfelds follies in 1919 will compete against 14 male candidates in the primary in which 2 candidates will be selected for ths regular nonpartisan election April 6 In her whirlwind campaign Mrs Froemming made about 100 speeches Herhope she said was to bring the voters love under standing and an insight into hu man nature They said shortages y would be spotty and prices vould increase with scarcity CIO picket lines formed at struck plants across the nation An industry spokesman estimat ed packing plants not affected by he strike could step up the na ions meat production to nearly 50 per cent of the normal 300000 00 pounds a week Most experts agreed however t would be considerably less than that It was estimated that the total of government inspected meats in storage throughout the 1035418000 pounds on March 11 be consumed by the American public in a little over 3 weeks The union committee after re ceiving Mr Trumans telegram urging the work stoppage be de layed while a special board of in quiry investigated the dispute telegraphed the president The strike must proceed A delay of strike action at this time would obviously serve no fruitful purpose in promoting a solution of this wage issue the committee told President Truman Mr Truman had asked the un ion to continue negotiations until the board reported to him on April 1 Under the procedure pro posed by the president the strike would have been delayed 80 days As the strike deadline arrived pickets started their march be fore the 78 inde pendent and 62 operated by the major companies Swift Armour Wilson Cudahy and Morrell There was no untoward incident in any of the cities from New York to Los Angeles The strike stemmed from a dis pute over the CIO unions demand for a wage increase of 29 cents an hour However the packers of fered a pay boost of 9 cents an hour which recently was granted the AFL workers The CIO union on Sunday had proposed to accept the major packers offer of 9 cents retroac tive to Jan 12 and asked arbitra tion of the differences However Wilson Co which offered 9 cents an hour withdrew ts offer The proposal to arbi raie was rejected by Swift Co iiitl Cudahy racking Co The un n bid to arbitrate was not an swered by Armour Co John Morrcil Co ranked as Lhe filrh major packer was nol nvolved in the negotiations which usually set the pattern for the en are packing industry Ralph Helstein CIO union president said in a statement the packers showed no disposition to seriously bargain on the wage question He said the 29 cents an iiour hike sought would raise packinghouse labor rates from 19 to 28 per cent depending upon de gree of skill lie said the unions wage de mand was derived from the U S bureau of labor statistics city workers family budget Helsteiu said this budget for a family of 3 and assuming steady work throughout the year for 40 hours a week would require an hourly wage rate of The strike is the second In 26 months against the nations pack ers The last one in January 1946 however involved nearly 250000 employes including members of AFL and independent unions as well as CIO workers It also was over wages The dispute was settled after the government seized the plants U S High Command in General Accord on Military Tasks Washington IP Defense Sec retary Forrestal said Tuesday a general accord has been reached by the high command on military tasks of the army navy and air force Forrestal took the joint chiefs oC staff to Key West Fla last week end for a showdown meeting on disagreements among the 3 serv ices These differences of opinion included such things for instance as whether naval aircraft should carry out strategic bombing at tacks in time of war or leave that to the air force Forrestal said the details of the agreements reached will be made public only if President Truman approves
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